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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune 05, 2003 - Walking on the wild side June 5, 2UO3 � The Suffolk Times � a 1 n on e WHENEVER WE HAVE something to 0 in Riverhead,Greenport,Orient or even the south side we try to add a � � short side trip to make the day more �� �� i�iteresting.I mentioned in an earlier � article that when we were in Riverhead recently we took one of those side trips �l to the Peconic River.This time we wer ���'"�;, in Orient and stopped in at East ��""�" x� Marion at the �@ �`��` F'OG V$ newly created �� �`"' � nature preserve f �„�*'" �N just west of Dam j'� NATURE Porid.The sign is �'' b Paul on the north side f✓�� y of the road and $tOUtenbUlgh tells of the coop- ����� erative effort of Southold Town and Suffolk County in � , . " making this scenic area available to all. y�: � <x After parking the car in the newly graveled parking lot,we were greeted � by a Baltimore oriole in the tree above us.It was a male singing his heart out in hopes of attracting a female.His bril- liant orange color made it seem as if he belonged in the tropics.As we walked If you hear a loud ras Times/Review photo by Paul Stoutenburgh along,the oriole's song seemed to fol- ping call at this tlme of the year, it's probably a crest- low us. ed flycatcher. They always look for a protected spot to nest. Th(s ttme it was 'Then,as we came to an opening in �n my open-fronted bird box. The crested flycatcher often incorporates shed nakeskins tn its nest. Wh it does this Is an one's guess. trying to attract a mate with its familiar call.Farther along,high on a dead limb,I spotted something familiar.I put my glasses on it.How it glistened in time was growing short,so we the sun:a ruby-throated hummingbird.We always decided to leave the ;est of associate the hummingbird with flowers and that the trail for another day.If long bill probing into them for nectar.But these tiny you're in the general area of little creatures also prize insects.Often you'll see East Marion,look along the them dart out to pick a small insect out of the air, north side o t e road just before you come to the just like a flycatcher,which,by the way,we heard causeway and you'll find this easily accessible park calling off to the west. area and trails well warth your time to explore. It was the noisy crested flycatcher.This flycatcher Our other outing was to Greenport's Moore's doesn't sing but has a loud rasping call.It winters in Woods,a place I always cherish visiting.There is a Mexico and Colombia,where insects are plentiful. lovely wide trail you can walk from the North Road The nest is built in a protected area of some sort,usu- right down to Route 25.The trail parallels a deep ally a broken limb or a crevice in a tree.Pve even had and interesting ditch that was dug by hand labor in them nest in one of my open-fronted bird boxes in the early 1900s.Its purpose was to drain the sur- our woods,where I photographed them from a bird rounding area.Again,the north entrance is a little hlind as the parents fed the young.There must have difficult to find but once you locate it on the south been a hatch of a particular kind of moth that day,as side of the road, ou can park your car and walk into each time the parents arrivcd at the nest they were always carryin the same kind of moth. the woods from there.You'll know you're m t e right spot when you pass a small pumping station for After about 15 minutes of Greenport sewage that,when thoroughly treated,is walking the trail,the woods piped offshore into Long Island Sound.The Village opened up,giving us a grand of Greenport is the only area that has sewage treat- view of Dam Pond with its ment on the North Fork.They also have city water. salt marsh along its sides.Our 'These public services allow Greenport to have small er lots,which allows houses to be built closer togeth- er. We were dumbfounded to see the huge generating facility that is being built on our left as wP roceed- trails and markers through the woo s ed along the trail.Sorry to see this precious area and even published a guidebook to go being encroached upon. along with the trail markers.It was a But let's get back on our trail.We walk through time of excitement when the nation the largest and most magnificent woods on the was starting to think of the environ- North Fork.The reason these woods have been left ment,and new words like ecology and virtually untouched is because the area is made up of conservation were becoming popular. heavy clay soil that rainwater doesn't drain through. Our nature trail worked out so well Everywhere it's wet and soggy,making building and that we actually got a presidential cita- tilling the soil virtually impossible.So you see,good tion for all the work that was done by things come because of wet areas. the students and teachers. All along the way there were laurel bushes bud- Sorry to say,these trails have not ding out.At our feet along been kept up.I've said this before: the trail edge was the wild Moore's Woods some day will be to �geranium just starting to Greenport as Central Park is to New flower.It has a lovely one- � York Cit .This area should be one of inch lavender flower that i the great attractions of our East End.A point of ������� :: greeted us all along the � ' interest:The drain that we walked along eventually way.As the season 3 �` =,; goes out and under Route 25 by the information changes so will the flowers ? booth,then through a lush salt marsh and eventually of Moore's Woods. va� ��; ,,, out into Pipes Cove to the south. We could see great r''„� It was a wonderful walk.At one point we could stalks of wineberries , hear a thrush singing far off in the woods to the reaching for the sun. ���` �;. � � west.I couldn't help but think of Roy Latham,that 'These have heavily barbed , s ��� great naturalist from Orient,working in these woods, stems,but later will have studying and documenting the ferns,trees,shrubs, Z '< sweet-tasting berries on ; � u� plants,insects,animals and birds that make up this them,a treat on any hike. - �n� ' � � magnificent area.This was ,� � � ...' Whenever I walk through ' � , �Y , ' one of his laboratories this area I always look for Y � ' � and he spent many hours the horsetails.These grow � � ����� ` and days and,yes,even about 12 inches hi h and � g :� � years,exploring it.I are miniatures of prehis- `� ,:�� remember years ago he toric trees that we know � showed me where the only from fossil remains. beautiful cardinal flower The skunk cabbage had � grew.This is one of the already leafed.out in the ; great wildflowers that wet areas.It blossomed grows three or four feet long ago,almost in the " high and on each tall stem cold of winter.Remember, T��p�s%Re��eW pnoco by earba�a sto�cer,b��9n there is a cluster of bril- skunk cabbage is a plant �ack-in-the- ul it. liant red flowers. that can thaw itself out of On our way back a the ice and snow.It blossoms much,much earlier thrasher flew across in than the other plants that haven't even thought of front of us.They'll build stirring from winter's grip, their nest low in the bush- We were pleased to occasionally see jack-in-the- es or even on the ground. pulpits along the way.Most of them hadn't fully Many of the I remember I pho- developed yet,as they were still in their light-green MO01'@'S tographed one out at stage.As they mature,they'll have streaks of brown Woods trees Orient Beach State Park, contrasting with the light green,giving them a lovel where it had nested on the artistic touch. at"Q OV@C 8 ground among the flower- There are huge trees all along the way.Many,I'm eentury old. ing ground pink.Could it sure,are over a century old:maple,beech,hickory, be they had chosen the oak and others.These were the trees that escaped site because of the flow- the woodcutter's ax.I alwa s associate the beautiful ers? beech tree with Moore's Woods.This is If you do take this walk the tree with smooth gray bark that is and you have friends with so inviting to carve initials on.Some of you,the ideal way to do it is to use two cars.Leave these trees,I'm sorry to say,have been one car on Route 25 as you enter Greenport,by the plagued with a billboard of initials.I chain-link gates approximately opposite telephone call it today's woodland graffiti.Once pole No.932 and the road to the Silver Sands Motel. initialed,the tree is"marked for life." Then drive toward the village and take a left up As you walk along you will come to a Moore's Lane,turning left when you get to the wooden bridge that goes across the North Road,then drive along until you come to the ever-present drainage ditch.Charlie entrance to the woods,where you will leave the Jantzen,a science teacher in Greenport other car.After you have walked through the School,put this in some years ago, woods,all you have to do is get in the car you left along with his outdoor education stu- on Route 25 and drive around to pick up the other dents.I worked on it with Charlie when car.This way you don't have to walk the trail both I was teachin at Greenport.We put in wa s.